Christine Stipp

(From Mason-Woodard Mortuary)

Dorothy “Christine” Stipp, age 94, of Joplin, MO, passed away on February 5, 2023, at Foxberry Terrace.

Christine was born on March 22, 1928, in Stotts City, MO, the daughter of the late Nettie Horstman Krueger and Christian Krueger. She received her associates degree from Joplin Junior College. In her early years, she worked a short time as an operator for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.

On June 24, 1950, Christine married her husband, Bill, and they soon started a family that would eventually include six children. As was typical in 1950s America, she managed the household and all that entails—grocery shopping, preparing all the meals, making her children’s lunches for school, buying their clothing, getting them to school—the list is endless. Doing laundry, while not her favorite, was quite the chore, because in her two-story home, she would have to lug all the laundry to the basement, where the washer and dryer were; then she would lug it back up to the first floor to fold, and finally, make her way to the second floor to distribute to the children’s rooms. She used to say that’s how she got her exercise.

Despite being a harried housewife, she miraculously found time to read. She was a big fan of Agatha Christie mysteries, and loved the books of James Harriot, a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales of England. She also enjoyed playing bridge monthly with her friends, where she could gab and laugh and put aside her responsibilities.

Her “me” time was short, she still had time to be meticulous about her personal appearance – especially her hair. Wind was her mortal enemy. When she invariably had to run errands, and the day was windy, she had to be very tactical about how to preserve her curls. And somehow, she always pulled it off. Even up to a few weeks ago, she mentioned that she needed another perm.

In her later years, after the passing of her husband, Bill, it was after the tornado decimated Joplin that she learned of all the orphaned animals. She decided it would be a good time to find her forever companion, and she found it in a little Dachshund she named GiGi. GiGi would be with her nearly to the end. She loved her so much.
Christine was preceded in death by her husband, William “Bill” Stipp on December 8, 2009; her parents, Christian and Nettie Krueger; one brother, Murray Krueger; and one sister Dolores Sisk.

She is survived by her children, Maryann Cole and husband Mike, Bartlesville, OK, Nancy Snodgrass and husband Dana, Joplin, MO, Kathy Caine and late husband George, Garden City, KS, Diana Strubberg and husband Doug, Powder Springs, GA, Dan Stipp and wife Jamie, Bossier City, LA, Sandra Stipp, Frisco, TX; and fourteen grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Thursday at Mason-Woodard Chapel. The graveside service will immediately follow the visitation at I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Neosho, MO.

Memorial contributions may be given to The Joplin Humane Society in care of the mortuary.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Mason-Woodard Mortuary & Crematory.